Chapter 116.

The connection between the Yao family and the heir of Prince Ziyang still needs time to be verified. However, Yin Chengyu suddenly remembered there was another matter left undone.

He cast a glance at Xue Shu, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk as if weighing his thoughts. Xue Shu stared at him intently, waiting for him to speak.

“The imperial examination is over,” Yin Chengyu finally said, his tone unhurried yet deliberate. “The new top scholars have already entered the Hanlin Academy. I plan to visit today and pick a few of the most promising talents to serve as my tutors.”

The examination concluded back in March, with three candidates claiming the top ranks: First Place, Xie Yunchuan; Second Place, Chen Maoming; and Third Place, Wang Zhi.

Since returning from Huguang, it had been one task after another. Now, with a brief moment of peace, Yin Chengyu finally remembered that Xie Yunchuan should have already achieved his high rank. It was time to take a closer look at him.

“Your Highness isn’t going to see the new scholars—you’re going to see Master Xie, aren’t you?” The words themselves were simple, but the tone they carried was unmistakably mocking, dripping with sarcasm.

Yin Chengyu had expected Xue Shu’s sharp tongue when Xie Yunchuan’s name came up, but the sheer acidity in his tone caught him off guard.

Raising a brow, Yin Chengyu fixed his gaze on Xue Shu and crooked a finger to beckon him closer. “Come here.”

Xue Shu’s face darkened, but he obeyed, stepping forward until less than half a foot separated them.

Yin Chengyu straightened in his seat, reached out, and pinched Xue Shu’s chin, forcing him to bend down. His narrowed eyes studied Xue Shu carefully, a flicker of curiosity in their depths. “Why are you always jealous of Xie Yunchuan?”

In their previous lives, this man could hardly tolerate his interactions with Xie Yunchuan. Any small act of kindness toward Xie Yunchuan would provoke Xue Shu into creating some sort of trouble.

Back then, Yin Chengyu had assumed it was deliberate provocation meant to cause him trouble. But now, reflecting on the past, he realized it was nothing more than jealousy, plain and simple.

Same temper, same possessiveness—some things never changed, no matter the life.

Still, this time was different. He and Xie Yunchuan hadn’t even crossed paths yet. So, what exactly was there to be jealous of?

Xue Shu pressed his lips into a thin line, as if unwilling to answer.

But under that piercing, unrelenting gaze, he finally caved. His voice was low and sullen as he muttered, “Your Highness and Xie Yunchuan compose poetry, sip fine wine, and brew tea together, treating each other as confidants. Even his birthday doesn’t pass without you sending him gifts…”

In the beginning, he didn’t want to say a word. But once he started, there was no stopping him. One grievance after another, spilling out like a storm that had been long suppressed.

“On my birthday? You brushed it off with trinkets, meaningless things. But for Xie Yunchuan’s? Every gift was carefully chosen. They might not look expensive, but each one—every single one—was perfect, thoughtful.”

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. The honors, the privileges you lavished on Xie Yunchuan...

Even though he and Xie Yunchuan were rivals, he couldn’t deny the man’s unparalleled talent and charm. Xie Yunchuan was flawless, a figure impossible to outshine. Yin Chengyu admired him, trusted him—and Xie Yunchuan responded with unwavering loyalty.

Every time he saw them together, walking side by side, Xue Shu felt a sharp, gut-wrenching fear. They were everything history glorified: the wise ruler and his ideal minister, a perfect partnership.

And he? He was nothing but a shadow in the background, his hands stained with blood. If history ever recorded their time, Xie Yunchuan would be the loyal subject, while he’d be the despised sycophant cast aside by a righteous emperor.

No matter what he did, no matter how he schemed to have him—briefly, fleetingly—by his side, the gulf between them was uncrossable.

A hundred years from now, their legacies would remain divided: one exalted, the other condemned. And Xie Yunchuan’s existence was a constant, cutting reminder of that.

“So, it’s just about this?” Yin Chengyu’s gaze pierced through him, sharp and unrelenting, as if seeing straight into his soul.

Xue Shu turned away, refusing to answer, his lips pressed tight.

“The art of ruling lies in mastering people,” Yin Chengyu said softly, almost teasingly. “Xie Yunchuan is both a friend and a subject. I must keep him close.” His fingers traced along Xue Shu’s lips, deliberate, as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to the dryness there. “But you… You don’t need me to master you, do you?”

Xue Shu’s eyes flickered, doubt and suspicion warring within.

Yin Chengyu let out a low, rumbling chuckle, like he knew exactly what was going down. His lips played tag with Xue Shu's, teasing him mercilessly before finally diving in for a full-on, deep kiss.

"Seriously," he purred, his voice thick with knowing amusement, "What are you comparing yourself to him for? There's no competition." His fingers, cold as ice, snaked under Xue Shu's collar, tracing a slow, deliberate path down the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

"Tell me," he breathed, his voice a husky whisper, "who else could I share this with… but you?"

Xue Shu's body went rigid, every muscle coiled tight, like a predator about to pounce. He was a hair trigger away from exploding. Finally, he snapped, unable to resist the blatant provocation any longer. He grabbed Yin Chengyu, pinning him down with raw, animalistic force, taking what had been so shamelessly offered up on a silver platter. He owned it.

Yin Chengyu fell back into the chair, tilting his face up, yielding with that same maddening composure.

When they finally broke apart, lips swollen and breaths ragged, Yin Chengyu lazily licked his reddened lips, his tongue a slow, deliberate stroke. With a languid, almost bored air, he straightened his rumpled clothes, every movement oozing with sensual confidence. He looked up at Xue Shu, a wry, knowing smile playing on his lips, and drawled, “Satisfied now?”

Xue Shu exhaled slowly, his voice low and rough. “When will Your Highness visit the Hanlin Academy? I’ll accompany you.”

Yin Chengyu paused, staring at him with an expression that was hard to read. Then, with a resigned sigh, he relented. “Fine. But don’t make trouble for me.”

*

At the height of noon, the two of them made their way to the Hanlin Academy.

The academy, nestled in the Nanxun Quarter, was just a short walk left from the Chengtian Gate.

Xie Yunchuan, the newly crowned top scholar, had already been appointed to the prestigious position of compiler in the Historiography Office, tasked with chronicling history.

In Great Yan, there was an age-old adage: "Without a jinshi degree, one cannot enter the Hanlin Academy; without Hanlin, one cannot join the Inner Cabinet." It was in his past life that Xie Yunchuan's path to power had begun right here.

By the usual trajectory, he would have spent three to five years toiling in the academy, familiarizing himself with state affairs while building his credentials. Once deemed competent, he would be summoned to court. If his achievements impressed, he might be sent to a regional post for tempering. Upon returning to the capital, he would likely assume a key position. Gradually, through this grueling climb, accumulating merits and experience, he could aspire to the Inner Cabinet in his forties or fifties.

But in his previous life, the nineteenth year of Longfeng was far from peaceful.

That winter, the deadly "Lump Plague" broke out across Daming Prefecture in northern Zhili and quickly swept into Wangjing. It claimed countless lives, including many court officials, leaving the bureaucracy severely understaffed. Desperate to fill the void, the newly inducted jinshi scholars of the Hanlin Academy, still untested, were thrown into the fray.

It was both calamity and opportunity.

Xie Yunchuan, through his exceptional performance, was swiftly promoted to the Ministry of Personnel, bypassing the usual ladder. At the time, Shao Tian—then Minister of Personnel and later Grand Chancellor—recognized his talent and took him under his wing. With Shao Tian's support, Xie Yunchuan rose meteoricly over four short years, from Assistant Minister of Personnel to Vice Minister of Revenue, and eventually Minister of Rites.

By the time Yin Chengyu returned to the palace, Xie Yunchuan had already secured his place as the youngest Grand Secretary in Great Yan’s history.

He became Shao Tian’s most trusted right hand, so much so that Shao Tian even contemplated marrying his legitimate daughter to Xie Yunchuan, grooming him as his successor.

Yet, Shao Tian never saw it coming—his carefully cultivated heir would one day become his executioner.

Shao Tian’s hand had orchestrated the destruction of Xie Yunchuan’s entire family. Driven by vengeance, Xie Yunchuan endured years of quiet suffering, meticulously gathering evidence of Shao Tian’s crimes. When Yin Chengyu eventually ascended the throne, he earned Xie Yunchuan’s trust and together they dismantled the Shao Tian faction, burying them under a mountain of old and new charges alike.

Without Xie Yunchuan’s defection in that lifetime, uprooting Shao Tian’s deeply entrenched faction would have been a blood-soaked ordeal.

This time, however, fortune played a different hand. The Yu family had not been wiped out. Shao Tian had yet to become Grand Chancellor and lacked the years needed to consolidate his power. And now, he held a firm grip on the tail of this sly fox. Dealing with him would be far simpler this time around.

Without the stepping stones of Ge Danwen and Shao Tian, Xie Yunchuan's path to the cabinet will hardly be as smooth as in his previous life.

When the Crown Prince descended upon the Hanlin Academy, the head academician received word and hurriedly led his people to greet him.

Yin Chengyu dismissed the formalities with a wave, his tone brisk but laced with intent. He claimed he was there to browse some ancient texts and, incidentally, select a few freshly appointed scholars to serve as readers in the Eastern Palace.

“I’ve been delving into historical studies of late, yet find myself stuck on certain perplexities,” he remarked, his gaze sharp and assessing. “When I sought guidance from the Grand Tutor, he claimed I’d cornered myself in dead ends. So, I thought a few newly appointed lecturers might help shed light where I struggle.”

The head academician, delighted by the proposal, eagerly led the Crown Prince to the National History Pavilion. “The top three scholars from the recent imperial exams are exceptionally talented,” he offered. “Your Highness might wish to start with them.”

The pavilion was serene, its air filled with the quiet rustle of scholars immersed in their work. Upon arrival, Yin Chengyu was ushered to a receiving room while the head academician personally summoned four scholars. Among them was Xie Yunchuan.

“Your Highness, these are the finest four scholars of this year’s imperial examination,” the head academician declared with pride.

Pulled away from their work and informed that the Crown Prince sought readers, the scholars were equal parts nervous and thrilled. Yet, among them, Xie Yunchuan stood out with his composed demeanor. His expression betrayed a hint of surprise as his eyes subtly swept over Yin Chengyu seated at the head and Xue Shu standing deferentially beside him.

He recognized them both.

Xie Yunchuan’s mind churned as he glanced at Xue Shu, the enigmatic eunuch who had once saved him, and the Crown Prince, whose gaze seemed oddly familiar that fateful day outside the palace. That peculiar look had left him unsettled, as if Yin Chengyu had known him.

Could the Crown Prince have uncovered something?

Xie Yunchuan pondered the possibility before dismissing it. His past was cloaked in obscurity—sickly and fostered in a secluded temple as a child, with few even aware of his existence. After the temple master’s death, his teacher took him in. Even the most determined investigator would find no loose threads to pull.

Relieved, Xie Yunchuan set his thoughts aside as he stepped forward at the mention of his name, his tone respectful and measured as he responded to the Crown Prince’s inquiries.

Although the pretense of selecting readers was merely a smokescreen, Yin Chengyu did not hold back during the examination. He tested all four scholars rigorously, showing neither favor nor hostility toward Xie Yunchuan.

The results left him more than satisfied. Apart from Xie Yunchuan, the other three candidates turned out to be surprisingly capable—each one a promising talent worth cultivating.

Initially, he had planned to select only two of them as companions for study, but he changed his mind on a whim. All four were chosen and ordered to begin their duties the next day, taking turns attending to the Eastern Palace.

The first to serve was none other than Xie Yunchuan.

Yin Chengyu, however, offered him no special treatment despite their shared history in a previous lifetime. After all, people are fickle, and four long years separated the Xie Yunchuan of this life from the one he once knew. Yin Chengyu needed time to understand the differences before considering his next move.

Thus, for their first session, Xie Yunchuan was simply instructed to give a lecture on history.

True to his reputation, Xie Yunchuan’s intellect shone through. Even with well-worn historical texts that others had long since exhausted, he managed to present unique and thought-provoking insights.

Their discussion was lively and stimulating, and Yin Chengyu found himself genuinely inspired by the exchange.

The session lasted only an hour, and when the time was up, Xie Yunchuan excused himself with perfect decorum.

Before stepping out of the Hongren Hall, he cast a cautious glance at the Crown Prince. He wondered if the faint sense of favoritism he had felt earlier was merely his imagination. The Crown Prince had shown no particular partiality toward him today.

On his way back, however, he unexpectedly crossed paths with Xue Shu.

It was only after entering the palace that he learned the man who once saved his life, Eunuch Xue, had since risen to power. Now, Xue Shu held the dual positions of Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and Commissioner of the Eastern Bureau.

Xie Yunchuan’s views on eunuchs had never been favorable, especially after being implicated in the Sun Miao case. His time in the imperial prison, witnessing unspeakable acts of cruelty, had only deepened his disdain for these manipulative and power-hungry figures.

But that day in the prison, Xue Shu had struck Sun Miao down with a single, clean blow, offering him a swift end. That moment forced Xie Yunchuan to reconsider his judgment.

Not to mention, Xue Shu had later secured the release of Xie Yunchuan and several other scholars from that hellish place, effectively saving their lives.

As Xue Shu approached, Xie Yunchuan paused. He clasped his hands respectfully and greeted him, “Commissioner Xue.” Then, bowing deeply, he added with solemnity, “Since that parting at the Ministry of Justice, I have yet to properly thank you for saving my life.”

Xue Shu, who had been about to pass him without a second glance, stopped in his tracks. His eyebrows arched in faint surprise.